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What
began as a
college
student’s
hobby,
training
Labs to
hunt, turned
into a
full-time
occupation
and has
grown into
success for
thousands of
dogs and
their
owners.
John
Kabbes,
founder of
Blue Ribbon
Kennels,
became aware
of the need
to create an
obedience
centered
school as
well as a
premier
boarding
facility.
With this in
mind, John
and Carol,
began
developing
grounds on
site for the
training of
retrievers
as hunting
companions.
In the
early years,
John focused
on training
retrievers
to compete
in field
trials as
well as
companions
for duck and
dove
hunters. He
traveled
nationally
campaigning
dogs for
their
owner's and
enjoyed much
success. In
1990, a
prize dog,
FC-AFC High
Country
Porky,
brought him
to the
pinnacle of
his field
trial career
by finishing
the National
Open
Competition
in St.
Louis, MO.
Family
life has
always been
important to
John, so he
decided to
cease
running
trials and
cross
country
traveling.
With that
tough
decision
behind him,
John and
Carol began
concentrating
on improving
the
facilities
at Blue
Ribbon
Kennels.
PHILOSOPHY
From
childhood
onwards we
are taught a
great deal
that is
wrong about
the
psychology
of animals.
In fables,
fairy-tales
and stories
describing
animal life
and behavior
we are often
presented
with living
beings that
think,
understand
human speech
and perform
moral or
immoral
acts. If we
adopt these
anthropomorphic
views we
shall be at
a
disadvantage
whenever we
try to train
animals of
any kind,
but
particularly
when we are
dealing with
dogs.
The dog
most closely
resembles
man in his
emotional
and
instinctive
reflexes. He
is capable
of showing
his emotions
very
eloquently
and his
manner of
expressing
his feelings
is clearly
reflected in
our own.
 It is
responses of
this kind
that largely
account for
our deep
affection
for dogs. We
are so
impressed by
the
acuteness of
such senses
as those of
scent and
hearing, and
with the
capacity to
learn, that
we are prone
to assume
that a dog's
mental
equipment
approximates
our own. We
credit him
with
capacity for
thought and
with an
understanding
of human
behavior and
morality. By
introducing
the dog into
a world,
which is, in
reality,
forever
closed to
him, we
prevent
ourselves
from
recognizing
the
unbridgeable
mental gap
that exists
between man
and dog.
"We
believe
their is a
need to
provide a
unique and
individualized
program of
training for
many
exceptional
dogs who
find
themselves
at odds with
their owners
due to a
lack of
formal
obedience
training.”
Blue Ribbon
Kennel's
goal is to
help each
dog function
at his
highest
level of
achievement.
Success must
replace the
dogs’ sense
of failure.
"Our
staff is
deeply
committed to
what we call
the animal
behavioral
approach to
learning, a
concept that
prepares the
dog for
living with
humans by
encouraging
them to obey
our commands
upon
request.
Dogs are
taught how
to listen
for a
command and
not pay
attention to
other
distractions
in the
environment
around them.
By so doing
they will be
happier, and
will seek
out what is
desired of
them.'
"We
believe that
Blue Ribbon
Kennel’s
approach to
the learning
process
produces
sound
emotional
health on
the part of
the dogs.
Through
individualized
training, we
give major
attention to
each dog's
adjustment
and personal
growth. Like
Colonel
Konrad Most,
we believe
that "we can
save
ourselves
much
disappointment
and ensure
the dog's
more rapid
and cheerful
response by
allowing him
to learn in
the canine
way." Blue
Ribbon
Kennels
seeks to
provide
training
suited both
to the
emotional
and to the
instinctive
life of the
animal. This
is what dog
training is
all about.
John
and
Carol
Kabbes
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